By Matthew
Richardson
91% of Ghanaians believe that the police are
corrupt – higher than the percentage for politicians. That’s really saying
something. But what’s most surprising is that new research shows that when the salaries
of Ghanaian cops were raised, so were the bribes they demanded. The
long-standing theory that petty corruption is a response to under-resourcing of
enforcement officers looks much weaker in the face of results like this. For
those interested in the public policy tools available for anti-corruption,
appealing to the better nature of crooked cops by providing a living wage may
not be the panacea so many expected.
By Matthew
Richardson
International investigators and enforcement
institutions often receive an outsized share of coverage and interest in the
anti-corruption field. However, it is worth remembering that national
authorities, particularly in the developing world, are on the frontlines of the
world’s anti-corruption efforts. These institutions and individuals are
entrusted with significant power and responsibility, so the sting is
particularly intense when the misappropriations
investigator in Nigeria is itself subject to investigation for misappropriation
of funds,
potentially “diverting” as much as $5 billion in the course of its operating
activities.
